Allen and allen, exploring the lands, 402416, 422426. The lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on. The statement indicates that members have also attributed book of mormon lands to south america. Book of mormon geography in north america wayne may youtube. Unfortunately, the geographical details of the book of mormon do not fit terribly well in models presented thus far. Because of this theory, he wrote, some members of the church have become confused and greatly disturbed in their faith in the book of mormon.
Any study of book of mormon geography must strictly adhere to criteria that do not alter the book of mormon text, the proposed map, nor established scientific dating systems. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi. An ancient american book sorenson changed his mind and postulated an atlantic crossing disembarking in veracruz. Book of mormon lands were longer from north to south than from east to west.
The scriptural basis for book of mormon geography book of. Despite the translation of egyptian and numerous american indian languages, reformed egyptian remains unknown. The book of mormon west sea and east sea, on the other hand, are proper nouns that is, they are the actual names of bodies of water that situate on the west and on the east respectively, of the lands of zarahemla and nephi. Watch as wayne may presents the parallels in geography, archaeology and timelines between the jaredites and the adena civilization of north america. Numerous observers have suggested that the book of mormon appears to be a work of fiction.
Seasonal rounds and ceremonies were performed each moon. Evidence exists that this plant was domesticated in north america in the. Peruvian setting for the book of mormon mormon matters. Indian removal act of 1830 moronis america the north. Book of mormon tours and research institute, 2008, 422. According to joseph smith and subsequent presidents and apostles of the lds church, the geographical extent of book of mormon lands included virtually all of north and south america. Wayne may places the narrow pass and land northward in canada which is ruled under a monarchy, but the book of mormon states. He gives a list of possible locations for many of the places in the text on pages 4647 of his book an ancient american setting for the book of mormon. Any latter day nation proposed as being the lands of the book of mormon must, of prophetic necessity, be able to fulfill each and every prophecy. It focuses on the north american setting with a bookbybook, chapterbychapter approach to the geography passages, illustrating the points with over 75 maps and diagrams. Lehi, the book of mormon prophet, speaks of some of the special characteristics of the promised land as established by god in the americas. America promised land messages of the book of mormon.
The fight over book of mormon geography deseret news. Joseph lovell allen true book of mormon geography lands. His latest newsletter dated oct, 2009, says, 10 reasons why the book of mormon took place in peru by george potter my new book, nephi in the promised land is now available in the nephi project discovery store. Book of mormon and dna studies church of jesus christ. My new book, nephi in the promised land is now available in the nephi project discovery store. Wayne may presents archaeological support of the book of mormon to a group in malad, idaho in february of 2017. Garth norman, book of mormon mesoamerican geography. Book of mormonplagiarism accusationsplace names from north.
This is the battlefield tour youve been waiting for. In order to remove these inherent improbabilities and attempt to salvage the credibility of the book of mormon, a number of modern mormon scholars have proposed several variations of a new approach to book of mormon geography, usually called the limited geography theory. Teancum, a book of mormon city located in a land called desolation, within the north country, was in the borders by the seashore mormon 4. Quarterly articles and internet articles on book of mormon history, language, culture, and geography. The mormon church, known as the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, claims that the book of mormon is divinely inspired and supplemental to the bible. Study two dozen detailed, fullcolor maps that follow the footsteps of mosiah, alma, ammon, limhi, and lands from nephi to zarahemla. Weston to prepare six maps of book of mormon lands. A memorable book of mormon lands tour guatemala, honduras, belize and mexico 11 days10 nights day 1 fri. Wells jakeman, the ancient middleamerican calendar system. It contains a record of gods dealings with three groups of people who migrated from the near east or west asia to the americas hundreds of years before the arrival of europeans. The premise of repopulating the vast north and south american continents from two small groups of transoceanic hebrew immigrants is, to say the least, farfetched. Does the book of mormon fit best in a geography located around the great lakes, between the united states and canada. Book of mormon lands discovering the lost lands of the book. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day saint movement scholars that the books narrative was a historical record of people in a limited geographical region, rather than of the entire western hemisphere as believed by some early latter day saints these models, developed in an effort to reconcile claims in the book of mormon with archaeology.
Leading experts of the early americas disavow the historicity of the book of mormon narrative. In fact, they may have become extinct in some parts of the new world due to over hunting. Mormon apologists have proposed multiple theories to explain apparent inconsistencies with the archaeological, genetic, linguistic and other records. North american book of mormon geography the interpreter. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Book of mormon lands encompassed all of north and south america.
I now know that the book of mormon happened in the usa in the historic heartland that is such a significant part of american and book of mormon history. The united states is the promised land foretold in the book of mormon continuing, he wrote, a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ. It is claimed that joseph smith is clearly the author of the book of mormon because many book of mormon place names supposedly have clear evidence of borrowing from geographic locations in the united states and canada. In the other corner is the challenger, a new theory that places book of mormon events in a north american heartland setting.
The north american setting for the book of mormon jonathan neville. But no entity outside of the mormon church refers to reformed egyptian as a real, written language. He proposes, when we read the book of mormon under the. Wayne may places the narrow pass and land northward in canada which is ruled under a monarchy, but the book. In other words, since we believe main events of the book of mormon happened in a limited area of north america around the great lakes in the east, and ohio, indiana, iowa and missouri to the west, and south in tennessee, west virginia, georgia, and florida, all other areas will be discussed as the hinterlands. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in transition. As the modern lds church tries to shore up belief in the prophet joseph smith and his special powers of translation, it continues to try to argue for something more than a fictional narrative for the book of mormon. It focuses on the north american setting with a book by book, chapterbychapter approach to the geography passages, illustrating the points with over 75 maps and diagrams.
Despite the limited space on the plates, mormonas a historian and. There is a major complication for traditional book of mormon geography. Updated book of mormon map book of mormon, lds seminary. Joseph smith and the book of mormon should be the final arbiters of book of mormon history, events, culture, and geographical locations. While olsen is correct that this has been a long held speculation, there is nothing in the text that claims a connection between the book of mormon and polynesia. Hinterlands lamanites in north, south, and central america. After several months of intense careful study of the text i have put together the following proposed map, showing the relative positions of book of mormon lands, cities, rivers, etc. The hill cumorah in ontario county ny is the hill where joseph smith found the golden plates and is the same hill where the civilizations of the nephites cumorah and the jaredites ramah fought their last battles. For a long time the mormons have assumed that the book of mormon lands encompassed all of north and south america, although today most mormons believe in variations of what they call the limited geography theory. Moronis america today in 1936, when lds scholars first began accepting the twocumorah theory, apostle joseph fielding smith warned the saints. Moronis america the book of mormon in north america. I shall write these posts, or discussion headings, under the main title, north american book of mormon geography. Mormon challenges are precolumbian horses in book of. Reading the book of mormon to determine its geographical.
Official statement on book of mormon geography and its. Amidst the hundreds of passages of potential geographic significance, alma 22. This land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. Jun 27, 2016 also see norman, book of mormonmesoamerican geography, 35. Yet another serious problem for the limited geography theory is the 45 degree directional skewing that is necessary in order to fit the various geographic features of the book of mormon into the proposed central american site, and the resulting complete absence of a sea north and a sea south, basic features of the area in the book of mormon. Most north american tribes relied upon a calendar of months, relating to the annual number of lunar cycles. Book of mormon lands discovering the lost lands of the. Wayne may presents the supporting evidence for the heartland model, that the book of mormon nephites and jaredites lived in north america. Most of the authors and supporters of the two main competing theories would agree that the north american continent is the land to which lehi was led and where the subsequent events of their record occurred. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints affirms that the book of mormon is a volume of sacred scripture comparable to the bible. Sorenson and joseph allen among others have proposed that much of the events in the book of mormon took place in mesoamerica. The book of mormon repeats over and over again, that the wars or battles between the nephites and lamanites occurred in parts of the year, and after fighting, the lamanites retreated back into their lands to the southtypically a description of fighting in summer and holing up in winter. The committee reported that although the church never officially endorsed the maps, the proposed geographical locations of book of mormon cities and lands on the maps made a lasting impression which has been difficult to correct. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography book.
See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. The north american setting for the book of mormon and letter vii link here. From iowa to guatemalaand back again rochester, ny. Migrations westward into islands of the pacific are obviously proposed in the various americansetting hypotheses. Book of mormongeographynew worldgreat lakes geography. The book of mormon places a land among many waters near cumorah, and the land of zarahemla so near to each other, that travelers from the south could mistake one region for the other. The parallelism has been previously noted in such sources as v.
Some believe that the history depicted in the book of mormon occurred in north america, while others believe that it occurred in central. May 31, 2019 in the late 1800s, the rlds committee on american archaeology arranged for g. Book of mormon geography the church of jesus christ of latter. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. Join wayne may and ryan fisher for a book of mormon archaeology tour of cumorahland. The north american setting for the book of mormon, erroneously claims that mesoamericanists look under the wrong light of the 1842 articles in the times and seasons for their light and knowledge of the geography of the book of mormon. The book of mormon text refers to the language it is written in as reformed egyptian. It cites an 1834 statement by joseph smith assigning north american lands to the book of mormon, and a later 1842 church newspaper article suggesting central american ruins were remnants of book of mormon civilizations. A closer look, are available from the webmaster of.
Hugh nibley, the book of mormon as a mirror of the east, improvement era 51 1948, pp. Jan 30, 2019 it cites an 1834 statement by joseph smith assigning north american lands to the book of mormon, and a later 1842 church newspaper article suggesting central american ruins were remnants of book of mormon civilizations. His latest newsletter dated oct, 2009, says, 10 reasons why the book of mormon took place in peru. Sep 28, 2019 the following table provides a comprehensive listing of the 36 prophecies and promises included within the text of the book of mormon as pertaining to its promised land. It was the birth of the united states of america that ushered out the great apostasy, when the earth was darkened by the absence of prophets and. This view, whose most influential proponent is brigham young university archaeologist john l. Geographical, and other evidences in support of the book of mormon landscape, as found in north america. The redheaded hostess book of mormon scripture study ideas. Exploring the book of mormon in americas heartland. May 10, 2016 i shall write these posts, or discussion headings, under the main title, north american book of mormon geography. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints does not officially endorse any one particular geographical model for where the events in the book of mormon transpired in the new world. Jan 15, 2019 for those unfamiliar with the proposed geography in moronis america, which is based on the text of the book of mormon, here is a map showing the major areas described in the text.
And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them. Dec 03, 2009 george is a proponent that the book of mormon lands are in peru. Proposed book of mormon lands locations larger image of figure 2. See more ideas about book of mormon, america and ancient civilizations.
The book of mormon and place names from the area around joseph smiths home summary. Book of mormon evidence in american archaeology wayne may. In addition, archaeological excavations in bible lands have been under way for decades longer and on a much larger scale than those in proposed book of mormon lands. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted. Its origin and development, byu publications in archaeology and early history, no. There are times when there is not the opportunity to get a clear understanding of what the traveler saw and these bulletins will help with that understanding. I therefore propose that we begin our discussion with a consensus that the book of mormon events of the promised land occurred on the. Moronis america is a mustread for anyone interested in the historicity and geography of the book of mormon. Any proposition going against the idea that book of mormon lands are not somewhere between the arctic ocean and the tip of south america in the americas is irrational to the core, because it denies the central premise that it is an american book.
Several statements are attributed to josephs saying that book of mormon lands were in north america, north of the mexican border. These principal book of mormon lands are southward from the land northward mentioned in helaman 3. Although the book of mormon is primarily a religious record of the nephites, lamanites, and jaredites, enough geographic details are embedded in the narrative to allow reconstruction of at least a rudimentary geography of book of mormon lands. Purpose of the book of mormon tour helps these single page descriptions of a specific book of mormon site are designed to provide pertinent information to the traveler about the site. Unconventional book of mormon geography theories mormon matters. As ive been saying since i attended the prelaunch open house for book of mormon central in december 2015, all i ask is an equal, or at least fair, presentation of alternative viewpoints on book of mormon central. All my studies suddenly made sense, all aspects of the book of mormon finally became clear. First published in 1830, the book of mormon reveals three transoceanic migrations to the americas by people from the near east migrations that are not found in any other history. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted as scientifically verifiable by the mainstream academic community. Let the book of mormon change your life, again, as you investigate exploring the lands of the book of mormon. The prophet joseph smith himself accepted what he felt was evidence of book of mormon civilizations in both north america and central america. Even so, it appears that book of mormon peoples observed lunar cycles, months, and that the nephites observed the israelite sabbath at the end of a sevenday week. The following table provides a comprehensive listing of the 36 prophecies and promises included within the text of the book of mormon as pertaining to its promised land.
This tour has been years in the making as we have searched out ancient remains of indian forts that date to nephite times located around the hill cumorah battlefield. A very limited number of vernal holleys outofprint 3rd edition of book of mormon authorship. Lamanite blossoming and gathering to promised land book of. Vernal holleys book of mormon authorship annotated 3. Covenant communications, 2003 land of and city of bountiful, land of and city of nephi, and quetzalcoatl. Book of mormon geography the encyclopedia of mormonism. It was named after teancum, who fought and died in the land desolation while helping the nephite military commander, moroni, contain the lamanites who were trying to gain access to the land northward.
And that it would be located in north america since it is supposed to be a choice land above all others. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography states that the book of mormon events primarily occurred in the heartland of north america. Sorenson in 1985 an ancient american setting for the book of mormon suggested they traveled east to the pacific and landed on the west coast of mexico. This page is about the book of mormon geography by wayne may, the founder of ancient american magazine and author of this land book series. Aug 09, 2019 the following quotes are taken from the percentage of adults in a temple marriage is less than 2 percent in mexico and central america. The scriptural basis for book of mormon geography book. As each new theory surfaces, we gain fresh hope of acquiring additional insights into it ancient location, but are all too often disappointed. A popular traditional view among many latterday saint faithful covers much of north and south america. There is no universal consensus among mormon scholars regarding the placement of these locations in the known world, other than somewhere in the americas. For that reason, we have designed and prepared this artistic rendering in such a way that you can get a basic idea of approximate directions and theoretical. Practically since the book of mormon was published, its geography has been the subject of discussion and debate. Wayne may true book of mormon geography lands western.
Joseph lovell allen and blake joseph allen, exploring the lands of the book of mormon, 2nd ed. Why did mormon give so many details about geography. Recall that joseph smith himself described the states of ohio, indiana and illinois as the plains of the nephites. George is a proponent that the book of mormon lands are in peru. Book of mormon geography, the near cumorah setting there have been numerous attempts to locate the long, lost lands of the book of mormon over the years. Wayne may true book of mormon geography lands western new. In the late 1800s, the rlds committee on american archaeology arranged for g. The geographical setting of the book of mormon is the set of locations of the events described in the book of mormon. The location of lands, oceans, rivers, mountain ranges, and boundaries in relationship to distances and relative positions in the book of mormon must match. I must admit, however, that of all the north american proponents, phyllis carol oliver, lost lands of the book of mormon, 2000, made some cogent and constructive arguments which caused me to reconsider and really give another in depth study of the united states as the land where most of the events of the book of mormon might have taken place. The united states is the promised land book of mormon. A limited geography model for the book of mormon is one of several theories by latter day saint movement scholars that the book s narrative was a historical record of people in a limited geographical region, rather than of the entire western hemisphere as believed by some early latter day saints.
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